Some may say a holiday season wouldn't be complete without a thumbprint cookie however I would say any season or occasion for that matter, as the jam filling can be switched out according to the season. These sweet buttery biscuits are melt in your mouth scrumptious and do not last long in our house. I prefer chopped walnuts to roll and coat the cookies in however wanted to give finely ground almonds a go for a more lighter Spring texture and taste.
Thumbprint Cookies
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makes approximately 30 cookies
2 1/2 cups (300 g) unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature and softened
1/2 cup (100 g) white sugar
1/4 cup ( 55 g) dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
about 1/2 cup (170 g) apricot jam
1/2 cup (60 g) finely ground almonds, for coating
Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl combine whisk together the flour and baking powder.
In a large bowl combine the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar and using a handheld mixer beat well until light and fluffy. Scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is combined evenly.
Add the egg, vanilla extract and salt to the butter and sugar mixture Beat well until all is incorporated and light and fluffy again. Fold in the flour and baking powder mixture until a cookie dough forms.
Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the dough and roll each ball between your clean hands to form a smooth even ball. Place the finely ground almonds on a plate and roll the now formed cookie dough balls in the finely ground almonds. Then press the middles down of each with your thumb or a measuring teaspoon, preferably a 1 teaspoon, to create an indent space for the jam.
Arrange the cookies on the parchment lined baking tray, about 2 inches apart to allow for possible spreading, and fill the indents with the apricot jam. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not over bake, you do not want a hard cookie, they should be soft and melt in your mouth. Allow the cookies to rest on the tray for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool. Repeat until all the dough is used up.
Notes: you can use any seedless jam or fruit curd as your filling and you can use chopped walnuts or any chopped nuts, desiccated coconut or flavoured sugar as a coating. If you want to use Nutella as a filling, do not fill prior to baking, fill cookies after they are baked and are right out of the oven.